Switch movement.



B. C. WEBSTER.

SWITCH MOVEMENT.

APPLICATION mm sums. 1914.

1,149,812,. Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

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llnai l; a 14 z 28 42 AOHIVEY BENJAMIN C. WEBSTER, OF BRIDGEPORT,CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO HARVEY HUBBELL, INCORPORATED, OF BRIDGEPORT,CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

SWITCH MOVEMENT.

Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

Application filed September 8, 1914. Serial No. 860,764.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BENJAMIN C. VVEB- STER, acitizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, county of Fairfield, State of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in SwitchMovements, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a simple and inexpensivereversible switch movement of large current carrying capacity which willoccupy but little space,

and the parts carried thereby; Fig. 2 a view I partly in verticalsection and partly in elevation illustrating my novel switch mechanismas applied to a key socket; Fig. 3 a section on the line 33 in Fig. 1,looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 4: a perspective view ofthe body of the contact member detached; Fig. 5 a view of the contactmember complete; Fig. 6 a detail view partly in elevation and partly insection of the switch mechanism detached, the position of the partscorresponding with Fig. 1; Fig. 7 a section on the line 77 in Fig. 6,looking in the direction of the arrows, showing a position of the partsin winding the tension spring; Fig. 8 a detail View of the cam and shaftdetached: and Fig. 9 is a view corresponding with Fig. 6 showing theposition of the parts an instant before the snap movement of the contactmember takes place.

10 denotes the upper insulating block and 11 the lower insulating blockby which the operative parts are carried, said blocks being providedwith recesses whlch receive the parts, leaving them wholly inclosed.

12 denotes the carrying bracket which is secured to the lower insulatingblock by a screw 13 and in which the shaft 14 is mounted to rotate.

15 denotes a cam which is carried by the shaft and is provided with highpoints 16 diametrically opposite to each other and with low points 17diametrically opposite to each other and mid-way between the high pointsleaving inclines 18 between the high points and the low points. The camhas formed integral therewith or rigidly secured there to a bar 19 whichlies parallel with the shaft and is provided with an eye 20 throughwhich the shaft passes. The shaft is shown as provided with flat sides,indicated by 21, and the cam and eye are proyided with correspondinglyshaped openings which receive the shaft but retain the cam and eyeagainst rotary movement independently of the shaft.

22 denotes the contact member as a whole which has rotary movement onthe shaft independently thereof. This member comprises a bar 23 having aslot 24: and arms and 26, each having a hole which receives the shaftfreely.

27 denotes the contact plates which lie on opposite sides of arm 26 andare each provided with inwardly turned lips 28 which engage the arm andact to retain the plates against rotary movement independently of thearm. The arm and contact plates are provided with alined slots indicatedby' 29, the purpose of which will presently be explained.

30 denotes the detent member as a whole which has both rotary andlongitudinal movement on the shaft and independently thereof. Thismember comprises a plate 31 having a hole through which the shaftpasses, permitting said member to slide freely on the shaft, an arm 35adapted to engage and slide in slot 24 in bar 23 of the contact member,and an arm 36 adapted to engage and slide in alined slots 29 in arm 26of the contact member and in the contact plates, and to engage one ofthe openings in the carrying bracket to lock the contact member ineither the circuit opening or cir cuit closing position. The engagementof arm 35 with the seat in bar 23 transmits the rotary movement of thecontact member to the detent member. Plate 31 of the detent member isshaped to correspond with the cam, that is, it is provided with highpoints diametrically opposite to each other and with low pointsdiametrically opposite to each other and midway between the high points,leaving inclines between the high points and low points and normallyopposed to the inclines 18 of the cam. The high ber and the cam areadapted to interlock in their normal or inoperative position, as shownin Fig. 6, and in operation the high points of the cam force the detentmember longitudinally on the shaft to cause the release of the contactmember as shown in Fig. 9 and as will be more fully explained. A spring37 bearing against arm 25 'of the contact member and against plate 31 ofthe detent member acts to normally retain the detent member in thelocking position.

' 38 denotes a tension spring coiled about the shaft and having arms 40which are adapted respectively to engage bar 23 of the contact memberand to be engaged by bar 19 of the cam.

41 and 42 denote the terminals. It of course makes no difference whichway the current passes. Suppose, for example, that the current entersatterminal 41, passes to the screw shell indicated by 43, thence throughthe lamp, (not shown), from which it passes to' center contact 44,thence through a screw 45 to a contact blade 46 which extends intoposition to be engaged by the contact plates of the contact member. Fromthe contact member the current passes to a contact blade 47. Thiscontact blade and terminal 42 extend from a plate 48 either of which isadapted to be engaged by arm 36 of the .detent member to lock the con-.tact member either in engagement or out of engagement with the contactblades.

The operation is as follows: Starting with the parts locked in thecircuit opening position, as in Figs. 1,2, 3 and 6, a quarter turn ofthe shaft in either direction will cause the camto move the detentmember longitudinally on the shaft against the power of spring 37 fromthe position shown in Fig. 6 toward the position shown in Fig. 9, andwill cause bar 19 which extends from the cam, through engagement withone of the arms of the tension spring, to wind said spring, as clearlyshown in Fig. 7, this winding movement continuing, until the parts arein the position shown in Fig. 9 that is arm 36 of the detent member hasbeen moved entirely out of engagement with the opening 50 in thecarrying bracket with which it has been in engagement, when the otherarm of the tension spring, which is in engagement with bar 22 of thecontact member will impart a quarter turn to the contact member with asnap and will place the contact plates in engagement with the contactblades. As soon as the snap,movement of the contact member takes place,spring 37 will return the detent member to its normal or lookingposition, as in Fig. 6, in which arm 36 of the detent member will passinto one of the openings 50 in the carrying bracket and lock the contactmemberin place until it is again released by a quarter turn of-the shaftand cam. Briefly then, starting with the contact member in the positionshown, the first quarter turn of the shaft-and cam in either directionwill close the circuit, the second quarter turn will ope'nit again, thethird quarter turn will close it again and the fourth quarter turn willopen it again, leaving the parts in the starting position.

Having thus described my invention I claim: 4

1. A mechanism of the character described comprising a rotatable contactmember having a bar, a rotatable cam having high points and inclines andhaving a bar extending therefrom, a longitudinally movable detent memberhaving a plate provided with high points and inclines cooperating withthose on the cam, and a tension spring having arms'engaging the bars ofthe contact member and the cam, rotation of the cam causing the detentmember to release the contact member, and the bar of the cam acting towind the spring and said spring acting on the bar of the contact memberto rotate said member when released.

2. Amechanism of the character described comprising a shaft, a contactmember.rotatable thereon and having a bar, a cam rotating with the shaftand having a bar, and high points a detent member rotatable andlongitudinally movable on the shaft and having a plate with high pointscooperating with those on the cam, and a tension spring having armsengaging the bars of the contact member and the cam.

3. A mechanism of the character described comprising a shaft, a contactmember rotatable thereon and having a bar, a cam carried by the shaftand having a bar, a V

detent member rotatable and longitudinally movable on the shaft, saidcam and detent memberv having cooperating high points and inclines, atension spring carried by the shaft and having arms engaging the barsand a spring acting to move the detent member longitudinally.

4. Amechanism of the character described comprising a shaft, a contactmember rotatable thereon and having a bar provided with a slot, a camcarried by the shaft and having abar and a high oint, a detent memberrotatable and longitudinally movable on the shaft and having a highpoint cooperating-with the cam, an arm engaging the slot in the contactmember and a locking arm, and a tension spring having arms engaging thebars of the contact member and the cam. v

5. A mechanism of the character described comprising a shaft, a bracketin which the shaft is journaled and which is provided with lookingopenings, a contact member rotatable on the shaft and having a slottedbar, a cam carried by the shaft and having a bar. a detentmember-rotatable and longi tudinally movable on the shaft, said cam anddetent member having interengaging points and said detent member havingan arm engaging the slot in the contact member and a locking arm adaptedto engage either opening in the bracket and a tension spring having armsengaging the bars of the contact member and the cam.

6. A mechanism of the character described comprising a shaft, a bracketin which the shaft is journaled and which is provided with locking Iopenings, a contact member rotatable on the shaft and having a slottedbar, a cam carried by the shaft and having a bar, a detent memberrotatable and longitudinally movable on the shaft, said cam and detentmember having interengaging points and said detent member having an armengaging the slot in thecontact member and a locking arm engaging thecontact member and a locking arm engaging the contact member and adaptedto engage either opening in the bracket, a tension spring having armsengaging the bars of the contact member and the cam and a spring actingto return the detent member to the locking position after it has beenactuated by the cam.

7 A mechanism of the character described comprising a shaft rotatable ineither direction, a contact member rotatable on the shaft, a cam fixedto the shaft, a detent member rotatable and longitudinally movable onthe shaft, said detent member and cam having interengaging points and atension spring engaging both the contact member and the cam.

8. Amechanism of the character described comprising a shaft, a contactmember rotatable thereon a detent member rotatable and longitudinallymovable on the shaft, a cam fixed to the shaft and a tension springengaging both the contact member and the cam, said cam and detent memberbeing provided with high and low points and opposed inclines,substantially as described, for

the purpose specified.

9. A mechanism of the character described comprising a shaft, a contactmember rotatable thereon and having a bar, a cam carriedby the shaft andhaving a bar, a detent member rotatable and longitudinally movable onthe shaft, said cam and detent member having corresponding high and lowpoints and opposed inclines and a tension spring coiled about the shaftand having arms engaging both sides of both bars so that when the shaftis rotated the bar of the cam will Wind the spring.

10. A mechanism of the character elescribed comprising a bracket havinglocking openings, a shaft rotatable in said bracket,

' a contact member rotatable on the shaft and 1 contact member whenreleased by the detent member. I

11. In a mechanism of the character described the combination withcontact blades and a rotatable contact member having plates adapted toengage the blades, of a shaft on which the contact member has rotarymovement, a cam rotating with the shaft,a detent member rotatable andlongitudinally movable on the shafts, said cam and detent member havingcooperating high points and opposed inclines, and a tension springhaving arms oppositely engaging both the contact member and the cam.

12. In a mechanism of the character described the combination withcontact blades and rotatable contact member having plates adapted toengage the blades and a bar, of a shaft on which the contact member hasrotary movement, a cam rotating with the shaft and having a bar, adetent member rotatable and longitudinally movable on the shaft, saidcam and detent member having cooperating high points and a tensionspring having arms engaging the opposite sides of the bars.

13. In a mechanism of the character described the combination withcontact blades, a contact member comprising a slotted bar, arms, andcontact plates carried by one of the arms, of a shaft on which thecontact member has rotary movement, a cam rotating with the shaft andhaving a bar, a detent member rotatable and longitudinally movable onthe shaft, said cam and detent member having cooperating high points andsaid detent member having an arm engaging the slot and an arm forlocking the contact member, and a tension spring having arms engagingopposite sides of the bars.

14. In a mechanism of the character described the combination with acarrying bracket having locking openings, a contact member comprising abar having a slot, arms, and contact plates carried by one of the arms,of a shaft on which the contact member has rotary movement, a camrotating with the shaft and having a bar, a de tent member rotatable andlongitudinally movable on the shaft, said cam and detent member havingcooperating high points and said detent member having an arm engagingthe slot and an arm engaging the locking member and adapted to engageeither opening in the bracket and a tension spring having arms engagingopposite sides of the bars.

15. In a mechanism of the character described the combination with arotatable contact member having a bar and a shaft on which said memberhas rotary movement, of a cam rotating with the shaft, a detent memberrotatable and longitudinally movable 011 the shaft and having a bar,said cam and detent member having cooperating high points, a tensionspring having arms engaging opposite sides of the bars and a springbearing on the contact member and 15 the detent member.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. BENJAMIN G. WEBSTER. Witnesses: 1

A. M. WOOSTER, H. W. MEADE.

